Ceramic Contemporaries 3: The Robinson Crusoe Tou

Phil Sawdon (7147088)

English

Loughborough University Institutional Repository

   This item was submitted to Loughborough’s Institutional Repository (https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/) by the author and is made available under the following Creative Commons Licence conditions.      For the full text of this licence, please go to: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/  1     Ceramic Contemporaries Exhibitions, past, present and future  NACHE (National Association for Ceramics in Higher Education) Symposium and AGM, Manchester Metropolitan University, 25th March 1999  Ceramic Contemporaries 3: The Robinson Crusoe Tour Chair: Phil Sawdon: "Here I am again, off down the road again" (Country Joe and the Fish)  "11.10 am - factual presentation by Phil Sawdon of some of the figures/ no's involved in CC3 detailing applications, selection, budgets etc."    Phil Sawdon: Thank you to the Events Committee.  I've been mulling this over since I consented as to how to present and contextualise what started as a red plastic wallet (red so I wouldn't forget it or leave it and so I could find it in the office) and became a box file, that now will not close, of nearly 3 years work dense with facts, figures, discussions and decisions, in a way that won't bore you rigid or raise more questions than the value of the presentation.  The Loughborough Ceramics students recently asked the staff in a questionnaire for the University web site, what we would rescue in the event of a disaster?  A close colleague referred to his or her moisturiser; sadly I had to put the CC3 box file!  This paper will summarise how the Exhibition Committee arrived at 6.30 pm Thursday 25th February (1999) in the Gulbenkein Galleries at the Royal College of Art.  Budgets and accounts are obviously ongoing, and, as you will hear, very fragile so I can't present anything formally but I will refer to amounts; some speculative, some confirmed, so members appreciate the issues and decisions.  It is time for me to thank the Exhibition Committee for all the support they have given me and all the work they have done to date for NACHE in making CC3 happen. The inside back page of the catalogue and the online web site refers to a lot of people but I would like to say particular thanks to:  Jane Gibson, Martin Smith, Sharon Blakey, Dave Harper, Pam Salter, my Loughborough colleague Dave Scott, and the Designers Fiona (Davidson), Tom-Aisle (Flatholm) and Torgeir (Hjetland).  No hierarchy was intended, nor have I forgotten Helen Phillips who I feel needs a special mention in a sentence of her own.  The CC3 Exhibition committee  was hatched following a NACHE meeting at Loughborough around September/October 1996 with Phil Sawdon confirmed as Chair, offers of membership from NACHE members, and with a brief to tour a selected  show from an open submission referring to the criteria for CCI  and CC2.  The budget float at that stage, as a consequence of superb financial management by whoever handled the money for CC2, and catalogue sales was approx. £2,587.00, which was earmarked for the development work of an exhibition stand, notepaper, application forms, poster, adverts and ‘unforeseens’.  2  An offer was on the table from the then Hanley Museum, via Kathy Niblett, to liaise with them for the show and as opening venue.  We were, at that time, still working with Alan Borg's promise from the opening of CC2 to take CC3 to the V&A in 1999. Oliver Watson was duly approached in December 1996 to confirm that commitment. However, the V & A withdrew as a consequence of the proposed spiral extension.  It was agreed to explore being "in association with the V&A" on the grounds of prestige and continuity for a future venue and not least to maintain the slide archive through the V&A Research Department. A London venue was deemed crucial and as a priority for opening the tour, the RCA was approached, they agreed and waived their fee.  The tour was identified as London, Stoke, N Ireland/Eire, Scotland and possibly the South West (subsequently confirmed).  I've lost count of how many letters, past catalogues, faxes, phone calls Sharon made but by 1998 (September ’ish) we had "final" confirmation  of RCA (London), Potteries Museum (Stoke-on-Trent), Ormeau Baths Gallery (Belfast) and the City Art Centre (Edinburgh).  Just prior to our opening at the RCA we had a very late bid from the Burton Art Gallery (Bideford) which is being explored (subsequently confirmed). Consideration was given to touring to Europe but rejected on the grounds of 'we hadn't even toured here yet', so were unsure of the feasibility.  The Committee, at its first meeting, allocated itself roles/tasks/duties or the Chair encouraged members to 'volunteer'. PR was identified as a new role, this had to a certain extent been previously handled by the V&A.  Henry Pim stepped into the breach later to withdraw and the reins taken up by Pam Salter.  Sharon actually volunteered to co- ordinate the tour, Jane all the graphics, Dave Harper the money, Martin our man in London.  Dave Scott joining in 1998 to co-ordinate the work with Fiona Davidson on the exhibition stands.  The Chair aiming to avoid specific ‘detail’ tasks in order to try and keep a perspective on the big picture.  Discussion concerning student or recent graduate involvement whenever possible, with an eye on even greater involvement longer term led us to talk to Graham McLaren at Staffordshire University.  For an Administrator, which initially was Sarah Lea, to be replaced by Helen Phillips in September 1998, a contract was drafted and a fixed fee of £2,500 plus expenses was agreed. The graphics was taken in house as an undergraduate project by Bath Spa University College and a similar arrangement brokered with the then LCAD for the stand design.  In the case of the stand design as the students were then final year, a contract was drafted to help alleviate us 'loosing' them post-graduation.  We pump primed the development work for the stand on the basis of meeting material costs according to receipts.  Kati Price is another example of this policy via the RCA/V&A MA.  Meetings duly flowed, waxed and waned etc.  The selectors were nominated and discussed and a commitment agreed to try and move from a 'Committee' of 7/8, narrowed to an opinionated 1 or 3 with approaches confirming as formally Carol McNicoll, Phil Eglin and Jeremy Myserson.  Expenses were agreed but the subsequent budget would not allow for a fee.  The fee for submitting slides was frozen at £15.00 as per CC2 in 1996 on the basis of experience of the quality of 5 slides form the previous submission we narrowed down to 3 per entrant with a commitment to view all the slides submitted. Previously candidates nominated a ‘No. 1’ slide.  The details can be seen on the entry form.  Awards were confirmed through the CPA (Craft Potters Association) and CAA (Contemporary Applied 3  Arts) Exhibition prizes and a £1,000.00 NACHE prize agreed.  The Committee was keen to prevent small 'prizes' in kind and the Chair lobbied all the venues to try and consider an alternative including the V&A, but, to date, to no avail.  So - selectors in place, a selection venue agreed, a format for application  printed, a tour firming  up daily, 'prizes' to be won, an advert in Artists Newsletter, a web site application  form, a poster to call for entries, listings in both Crafts Review and Crafts, we eagerly awaited the rush of applications and therefore £15.00s  which would surpass all previous numbers and crucially give us a healthy  'care free' budget.  The poster was mailed to all NACHE member institutions, galleries, libraries, art centres etc. after exhaustive work by Pam Salter and Mike Marshall.  The Chair canvassed at New Designers with fistfuls of application forms.  Submission  was timed to allow graduating students the opportunity of submitting  very recent work i.e. their degree shows, and to be immediately after New Designers,  therefore hoping good quality slides would not be an issue, we even put guidance concerning  slides on the application form.  On-going at this time was a Crafts Council bid for funding which was eventually successful to help produce the catalogue and develop a digital version confirmed as £3,650.00. We had a lottery application rejected and were fruitless in our trawls for direct sponsorship. Ask Dave Harper.  However, we got a late £500.00 from News International through friends of friends, and a glass or two of wine.  However, sponsorship in kind through goodwill etc. has been excellent. The RCA fee waiver, the Potteries Museum for our administrative base and off course, NACHE itself is just a few of the obvious examples.  So back to the submission – 410 applications - down on previous shows; 600 and 461 respectively. Figures are available by institution This seems to me to be one of the key areas of debate.  Why is the application falling when courses are increasing?  A question on the application form asks how applicants had heard of CC3. The response was as follows:  Tutors        319 78% Magazines - Crafts/AN/Ceramic Review   45 12% Word of Mouth       17 4% New Designers      5 1%  Web site/poster      7 1% Previous contact with Ceramic Contemporaries  17 4%   Total = 410 responses  So 410 x £15.00 = £6,150.00. We had £3,650.00 to come from the Crafts Council and a rapidly dwindling surplus from CC2. A levy of £25.00 per NACHE member institution had been levied and was dribbling in. Commitments were allocated on the following basis with unforeseens and ‘incalculables’ worrying us daily.  Catalogue allocation   £4,500.00 Digital catalogue   £1,000.00   Exhibition stand   £2,500.00      Administrator    £2,500.00       NACHE prize    £1,000.00   At this stage that gave us £2,900.00 to pay for insurance, poster, all packing materials needed to tour the work, an opening with invite, expenses, design fees for the graphics and stand which we felt were well deserved but not yet settled. Insurance was originally thought to be covered by the exhibitors but they started getting minimum premium fee quotes of anything from £150.00 - £250.00 and started ringing us duly concerned. So we have taken 4  out a CC3 policy for the whole show including tour and public liability, and divided £624.00 by 54 exhibitors and charged £20.00 each to offset administration and our £100.00 excess on any claims. The decision to go ahead was not, and still is not, an easy one but we did and have!  The selection took place in September 1998 at Staffs University over 2 days. The selectors were briefed by the Chair to choose the broadest cross section of work from the slides submitted with quality the key word. The slides contained no mention of the institutions attended.  54 exhibitors were chosen from 20 NACHE member courses, nearly half the membership.  The selectors were contacted over the following week-end by the Chair to confirm that they wanted to stay with their selection after some time to reflect and they did and have.  The detailed work that followed included the following costs:  Catalogue: 2,000 print run  £3,823.00 Poster: 1,000 copies   £316.00 Exhibition stand   £2,500.00 Web site    £1,000.00 Invite     £180.00   Current and therefore ongoing costs include administration, postage, packing materials, design fees, transport, press packs. The press packs contain images on CD, exhibitor CV's, Press Release and a statement from the Chair. They are now in circulation.  Income will be from the hire fee variously from £500.00 - £1,000.00 and catalogue sales. We have drafted a hire agreement.  The unit cost of catalogues is £5.00 per copy with commission ranging from 30-50%.  We are doing deals wherever we can.  The budgets mean complementary copies are at a premium.  We need income. The Crafts Council no longer deals in bulk so has only taken 5 to see how they go and V&A Enterprises have a sample copy before committing themselves.  It will be on sale throughout the tour. We allowed one complimentary copy per exhibitor and one per NACHE institution.  An essay fee was agreed for two of the contributors.  The opening was attended by 270- 300 (later confirmed as 284) people, using mailing lists from the V&A and RCA, together with NACHE 'connections'. The CPA award went to Neil Brownsword, CAA prize to Fiona Bourke and the £1000.00 NACHE prize, voted by NACHE members, to Claire Twomey for Shoal. The RCA total attendance for 20 days was 2,000 according to the RCA's visiting figures.  An average of 100 per day!  Oliver Watson and Chris Frayling gave their services for free and have been thanked in writing by the Chair.  The bar had a hire fee of £65.00 and was provided by the RCA Students Union with all takings going to them.   5      6     7   Finally in summary …  11, 12, 13 or 50 people depending on where you draw the line have worked almost daily for what will be 3 years this summer, most on a voluntary basis, to provide an exhibition which will tour for a year into 2000.  With a purpose built stand, to 4, possibly 5 (confirmed as 5), prestigious venues, produced 2000 x 44 page (the biggest yet) catalogues and a web site. They have liaised with insurers, exhibitors, selectors, the press, the Crafts Council, CAA, CPA, Staffordshire University, 4 x Exhibition Officers etc. on a budget around £10,000.00!  The detailed accounts will be submitted for approval after the show finishes in Edinburgh during 2000 probably at the 2000 AGM.  Thank you  Phil Sawdon  Chair NACHE CC3 Exhibition Committee  19th March 1999   

Ceramic Contemporaries 3: The Robinson Crusoe Tour

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Ceramic Contemporaries 3: The Robinson Crusoe Tour

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